I joined host Adam Fleming and fellow panelist Pat Allerton (better known as the ‘Portable Priest’) on BBC Radio 4’s Anti-Social today to tackle a perennial but increasingly contentious question: Is Britain still a Christian country?

The debate was sparked by the recent fallout from a now discredited Bible Society report which overclaimed the results of a single – now withdrawn – YouGov survey that the UK was undergoing a religious “Quiet Revival”. This false narrative has poisoned the well of public discourse by ignoring the broader reality of secularisation.

A significant portion of our debate centered on the “evidence” used to support this supposed revival. Much of it relies on anecdotal stories of “bums on seats” in specific parishes rather than hard data. 

It was a lively but enjoyable discussion confirming that we’re clinging to an institutional ghost that no longer reflects the British public. We need to look forward to a future build on shared values, not an uncertain heritage.

Listen to the full episode here.